Packaging machine



March 11, 1941. .1, JACKSON Emu. 2,234,175

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed arch 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l llllllllllll N(a N INVENTORS 3.9 John Jackson August J Schmzdt T ATTo RNEY March 11,1941. J. JACKSON ETAL 2,234,175

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed March 25. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Fig.5. 6.9% 90 92 mini-Q1211 fi INVENTORS John Jackson by August SchmidtATTORN EY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGINGMACHINE Application March 25, 1937, Serial No. 133,021

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wrapping machines, moreparticularly to packaging machines. Its main object is to employ animproved method of feeding without slippage a printed foil and/or paperweb, registering the indicia of the web with the package, and cuttingthe foil to the required length. The labels or designs on the wrapperswill therefore occupy a uniform position on the packages enfo-ldedthere- Another object of our invention is to provide means for heatsealing the foil in the formation of the package, thereby eliminatingthe objectionable features of pasting and labeling and yet securing amoisture-proof and hermetically sealed package. For the accomplishmentof these objectives there is provided an intermittently drivenweb-feeding drum provided with pins entering perforations provided inthe web of foil or other printed material in a constant relation to theindicia on the web whereby slippage of the same is prevented anddisplacement of the indicia from the desired location on the package isavoided. For heat sealing the foil, in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, heated members may be arranged to engage the various seamsand folds and fuse the same to effect a hermetic closure of the foilwrapper. With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in viewthe invention consists in certain constructions and combinationshereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification andin which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wrapping machine embodying the presentinvention, its parts being shown in the position occupied when thedriven feed roll is moved into ineffective position whereby the feedingof the web is interrupted while it is cut;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the eccentric with itsconnections to the oscillating arm and take-up roller;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the turret heater plate and the swingingheater arms;

Fig. 4a is a perspective view showing one of the swinging heater armsand its operating connec- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a cigarettepackage with one end open showing the location of the perforations onthe foil wrapper which are hidden, as indicated in dotted lines, whenthe package is sealed;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the foil feeding device 5 and heat sealingelements in their relative location on a cigarette packaging machineshown at a reduced scale; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the perforated printed foil showing where it iscut to wrapper length 10 by dotted lines and the location of twoperforations near each edge of the foil wrapper.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the webfeeding and registering device is located above the intermittentlyrotated 15 turret of a cigarette packaging machine of the general typedisclosed in Patent No. 1,926,192, issued September 12, 1933. Referringto Figs. 1,

2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, a printed tinfoil web T isintermittently drawn from a reel 20 I0 over an idler roller II and atake-up roller |2 by the coaction of a rubber covered roller |3 with afeed drum I4 loosely mounted on a continuously rotating shaft l5journaled in the frame l6 and driven by gearing (not shown). Planetarygears 25 I! and I8 pivotally mounted at I9 to one end of an oscillatingarm 20 loose on the shaft l5, mesh with sun gears 2| and 22respectively, mounted on shaft |5. Gear 2| is fixed to the shaft l5, andgear 22 is suitably secured to one end of the feed 80 drum M, as byscrews 23. A gear 24 is supported from a bracket 25 by a stud 26 andmeshes with the gear 22 and in turn drives the rubber covered roller |3in synchronism with the feed drum I4, through a gear train comprisinggear 21 on stud 35 28 and a gear 29 fastened by stud 30 to roller l3 onthe arm 25. The idler roller H and the takeup roller l2 are looselymounted on shafts 3| and 32, respectively, and a bail bracket 33 whichis suspended from the shaft 3| carries the shaft 40 32. One arm 34 ofthe bail bracket 33 is connected to one end of a link 35 by a pin 36 andthe other end of the link is connected to the arm 20 by a pin 31. Aneccentric 38 fixed to the shaft 3| and continuously driven by gearing,not shown, 45 has an eccentric strap 39 loosely fitted thereon andprovided with an integral arm which is pivotally connected by a pin 40to the arm 20, thereby vibrating it together with the gears l1 and I8mounted at its opposite end. When the arm 20 is swung in one directionby the eccentric 38 the planetary gear I! will be driven in such adirection by the gear 2| that the planetary gear |8 will drive the gear22 counterclockwise together with the drum l4, and the roller 13 will 55be driven in the same direction. During the opposite movement of the arm26 the planetary gears cease revolving and the feeding of the web by thedrum and roll is interrupted.

The printed foil T is provided with regularly spaced perforations 4|(Fig. 9) located near each edge to fit similarly spaced pins 42 on thefeed drum l4 whereby slippage of the web is prevented. The web T isprovided with recurrent printed labels or designs D which occupy apredetermined relation with respect to the perforations, and is fed overthe drum I4 and under guide rollers 43 rotatably mounted at 44 and 45 onthe supporting bracket arms 46 which are hinged on the shaft 41journaled in a bracket 48 adjustably secured by bolts 49 to a guidebracket 50. The foil T is then brought through the guide brackets 56secured to the frame I 6, into position for cutting the required lengthsby a knife 5| (indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1) when therevolving drum l4 has come to a stop. The free ends 52 of bracket arms46 pivoted on the shaft 41 are rounded sufiiciently to clear the roll IIto prevent damage to the foil when the arms are swung out to make anadjustment, and are joined by the cross members 53, 54 and 55. Therubber covered roller I3 which is slightly larger in circumference thanthe length of foil required, coacts with the periphery of roll 13 tofeed the printed foil T so that the pull will not come directly on thepins 42 of the feed drum l4 and hence tearing of the web will beavoided. The roller I2 takes up any slack in the foil as the feed druml4 slows down and stops for cutting, even though the foil reel Illcontinues to revolve by reason of its inertia.

Inthe operation of the packaging machine the free end of the web ofprinted foil is fed across the path of hollow mandrels supported by theintermittently rotated turret whereby the printed designs or labels areregistered in predetermined relation with the mandrels, and the severedlengths are folded about the mandrels as will be presently described.

The portion of the foil projecting beyond the free end of the mandrel istucked inwardly, and the flaps so formed are lapped on each other andheat sealed by the customary heater plate 56 which is shown in Fig. 8.On a table 51 are fastened pedestals 58 which support a shaft 59 aboutwhich the turret revolves. As is described in Patent No. 1,926,192,various stations in the intermittent rotation of the turret aredesignated by Roman numerals, the arrangement corresponding to thenumerals on the dial of a clock. After the printed foil T is fed atstation XII (Fig. 4) over the side of a hollow mandrel or support 60, itis held thereagainst by a clamp (not shown) while the foil T is out.Thereupon, while the turret advances to station I, the overhanging flapsof the printed foil wrapper are bent up over the sides of the mandrelsby stationary members (not shown). The bent up flaps are then foldedinto overlapping relation on the back of the mandrel by two resilientfolding plates 6| and 62, and the seam so formed is held closed by aforked clamp 63 provided on each of the mandrels. Each of the mandrels60 also has provided thereon a clamp not shown herein but described inthe above mentioned Patent No. 1,926,192, opposite the clamp 63 to holdthe foil against the front of the mandrel. The clamps 63, unlike thecorresponding members in the machine disclosed in the above mentionedpatent have a bifurcated configuration for a purpose The printed foilthus wrapped about the support 60 and clamped is next brought to stationII. Side tuckers 64 are now operated by mechnism not shown but describedin the Patent No. 1,926,192 and the inner end flap is folded down by aswinging folder indicated at 65. A pair of swinging heater arms 66(Figs. 4 and 4a), fixedly mounted on shafts 61 journaled in a block 68,are operated to swing down with their attached heater plate 69 passingbetween the two prongs 10 of the forked clamps 63 into engagement withthe seam, whereupon springs H anchored at pins 12 and 13 on the block 68and arms 66, respectively, yieldingly press the heater plates againstthe longitudinal seams of the wrappers on two adjoining mandrels. Acartridge heater 14 is suitably located directly behind the heater plate69 of each of the two heater arms 66 which are linked by a rod 15connected to arms 16 by pins 11 and 18, the arms 16 being fixed onshafts 61 and 19. A rod pivoted on the pin 18 of one of the arms 16 isoperated from the main cam shaft (not shown) to actuate both swingingheater arms 66 and swing them clear of the mandrel during theintermittent movement of the turret between stations. The printed foilT, which has been treated with a suitable heat plastic on either or bothfaces, is thus sealed by the heater arm 66 along the longitudinal seamat the back of the package. A folding roller 8| folds the remaining flapdown over the inner flap and side tucks, and during the continuedmovement of the mandrel toward station III the closed bottom end isbrought into the range of action of the heater plate 56.

At station III the other swinging heater arm 66 repeats the step ofheating the longitudinal seam just described, thereby assuring aperfectly sealed back seam. The tucked and folded bottom end of the foilwrapper is moved along the heater plate 56, through stations III, IV, Vand to station VI. The heater plate 56 may be disposed out of contactwith the bottom end of the foil wrapper to heat the same by radiation,or it may be hinged at 82 to a bracket 83 which supports the journals 84of the folding roller 8|. The flanged end 85 of the heater plate isnotched to receive a pin 86 secured to a rubber pressure pad 81. As thefoil wrapper travels between stations II andIII, the pressure pad 81 isin its retracted position, the pin 86 maintaining the hinged heaterplate 56 out of contact with the wrapper to avoid marring the same. Theheater plate melts the fusible coating on the bottom end of the foilwrappers so that when the rubber pressure pad 81 at station VI impactsthe heated folds to flatten them, heat sealing of the same to each otheris assured.

If desired, the entire face of the foil wrapper may be coated with athermoplastic film of material such as nitrocellulose, although it willbe understood that only a portion of the face need be coated. Theformation of tabs 4!, instead of completed perforations on the web toadmit the pins 42 is advantageous in that it permits the tabs to closeup the opening after the pins are withdrawn therefrom.

After leaving station VI the sealed wrapper continues traveling tostation XII while contacting a cooling plate 88, a group of cigarettesbeing inserted Within the support 60 at station IX by suitable mechanismdescribed in the above mentioned Patent No. 1,926,192. At station XIItuckers 89 and folders 90 and 90a form tucks in and fold down the innerflap of the open end of the package ejected from the mandrel by aplunger (not shown) which enters the mandrel and removes the cigarettestherefrom together with the foil wrapper. The package now rests on thebottom plate 9| of the delivery guideway and is advanced into theguideway by a member, not shown but fully described in the abovementioned patent, whereby its outer top flap is folded down over the topend of the package to complete the folding of the wrapper. The top endof the wrapper is then heat sealed by a top heater plate 92 forming asection of one side of the delivery guideway and provided with acartridge heater (not shown) to which conductors 94 lead from a suitablesource of energizing current. The plate 92 is hinged at 93 to swing awayfrom the packages during the delivery of a package to the guideway, andis provided with lead-in wires connected to the cartridge heater. Theswinging of the plate 92 may be accomplished by any suitable means. Ahinged plate 95 forming the other side of the delivery guideway isoperated by means not shown herein but fully described in Patent No.1,926,192, to intermittently engage the bottom ends of the packages inthe guideway following the delivery of the next package thereto andthereby press the top end of the package against the heater plate 92 andeffectively seal it. If desired, the mechanism for swinging the plate 92may be similar to that provided for the plate 95. The sealed package isfinally brought to a cooling plate 96 which engages the top ends of thepackages after they leave the plate 92.

The indicia of the printed foil has thus been registered with thepackage, and the required wrapper length has been carried through itsseveral stages of wrapping operation to receive the effectiveapplication of heat to its seams for the perfect sealing of amoistureproof package in the most simple manner. While the invention hasbeen exemplified in conjunction with a cigarette packaging machine, itwill be understood that it is applicable to the wrapping of variousother articles including cigars. It will be understood that instead ofusing thermoplastic coated material, thermoplastic adhesive may beapplied to the web after it is drawn from the reel and before it reachesthe web-feeding mechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for wrapping afusible wrapper about a group of cigarettes, and to form folds at thetop end thereof, of mechanism for heat sealing the folds of the wrapperon the top end of the package, said mechanism including a movable heatedplate arranged to engage and heat seal the folds of the wrapper at thetop end of the package, and a movable member arranged to engage thebottom end of the package and thereby press its top end against theheated plate to heat seal the same, means to withdraw said enwrapped andpartly heat-sealed package and to present it at a station forheat-sealing the bottom end, means to form said bottom folds, and meansto heat-seal said bottom end folds.

2. In the process of wrapping which includes the steps of severing awrapper from a web provided withindicia at regular intervals andrecurrent perforations at its margins intermediate said indicia, theline of severance lying between alternate indicia and the adjacentperforations, folding the wrapper about the girth of a group ofcigarettes so that the indicia on the wrapper will be disposed onopposite faces of the package so formed, heat sealing the longitudinalseam thus formed; the step of tucking the perforated sections of thewrapper over the top and bottom end of the package and the further stepsof folding the top and bottom end folds thereover, to cover theperforations, and sealing the top and bottom end of the package.

3. In the process of wrapping which includes the steps of severing awrapper from a web provided with indicia at regular intervals andrecurrent perforations at one margin thereof intermediate alternateindicia, the line of severance lying between said perforations and theadjacent indicia, folding the wrapper about a group of cigarettes sothat the indicia thereon will be disposed on opposite faces of thepackage so formed; the step of tucking in the perforated section of thewrapper over the top end of the package, and the further steps offolding the top end folds thereover to cover the perforations and heatsealing the same.

4. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a hollow mandrel, ofmeansfoi folding a fusible wrapper about the mandrel and over one endthereof, members for heat sealing the seams of the wrapper so folded,while supported on the mandrel, said heat-sealing members acting toclamp against said mandrel the wrapper margins while activating thefusible portions thereof defining the seams, bifurcated clamping means,adapted to be engaged with the seam margins along the length of theseam, at both sides thereof, to hold the seam margin independently ofthe heat-sealing member during the operation of heat-sealing, means forinserting a group of cigarettes into said mandrel and ejecting themtherefrom whereby the wrapper is removed from the mandrel together withthe cigarettes, and mechanism for receiving each enwrapped, partiallysealed packet, and for closing the open end of the wrapper and means forheat-sealing the same.

5. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a hollow mandrel, ofmeans for folding a fusible wrapper about the mandrel and over one endthereof, members for heat sealing the seams of the wrapper so foldedwhile supported on the mandrel, said heat-sealing members acting toclamp against said mandrel the overlapped wrapper margins whileactivating the fusible portions thereof defining the seams, bifurcatedclamping means, adapted to be engaged with the seam margins along thelength of the seam, at both sides thereof, to hold the seam marginindependently of the heat-sealing member during the operation ofheat-sealing, means for inserting a group of cigarettes into thewrapper, and mechports, prior to its removal from its support, means toload and to remove each loaded and partially sealed package to a stationfor sealing the folds at the other ends of said packages in turn, andmeans at said last-named station for sealing said last-named end folds.

7. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for wrapping afusible wrapper about a group of cigarettes and to form folds at theends thereof, of mechanism for sealing the folds I of the wrapper on thebottom end of the package, and mechanism for sealing the folds of thewrapper at top end of the package, said lastnamed mechanism includingamovable heated plate arranged to engage and heat the folds of thewrapper at the top end of the package, a

movable member arranged to engage the bottom end of the package andthereby press its top end against the heated plate to heat seal the topend folds of the package, and means to transfer said enwrapped andpartly sealed package, after sealing said bottom end folds, into therange of action of said means for heat-sealing the top end.

8.1In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for wrapping afusible wrapper about a group of cigarettes and to form folds at theends thereof, of mechanism for sealing the folds of the wrapper at thebottom end of the Package,and mechanism for heat-sealing the folds ofthe Wrapper on the top end of the package, said mechanism including aheated plate arranged to engage and heat seal the folds of the wrapperat the top-end of the package, and a movable member arranged to engageand press against the bottom end of the package and thereby press itstop end against the heated plate to heat-seal said folds at said top endof the package.

9. In the process of wrapping which includes the steps of severing awrapper from a Web having recurrent perforatlqh s in the form ofoutwardfi'poifiti'fi'g tabsstruck from the web, and the folding of saidWrapper about the girth of a package; the further steps of tucking theperforated sections in over the ends of the package whereby said tabswill close the perforations, and folding down the flaps over the ends ofthe package.

10. Apparatus for wrapping packages, of the class includin anintermittently revolving turret, a plurality of package supports on saidturret, and mechanism for feeding intermittently severed sections offusible wrapping material so'that each section will be stopped adjace'ntto a package support at one station of said turret, said apparatus beingcharacterized by mechanism for folding each such section of materialabout the adjacent package support, and clamps for holding the seamforming margins of each wrapper so formed against the support, and aheated member movable into position to engage and fuse together themargins of each folded wrapper along its seam While the seam is engagedby said clamps, said heated member acting also to clamp the seam betweenthe heating member and the support as it activates the fusible wrappingmaterial.

JOHN JACKSON. AUGUST J. SCHMIDT.

